


one for sorrow

by BlueFaeWren



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Past Relationship(s), Volume 8 (RWBY)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:40:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28028688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFaeWren/pseuds/BlueFaeWren
Summary: Tai goes to confront Raven after the broadcast.
Relationships: Raven Branwen/Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long, Raven Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long, Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long
Comments: 9
Kudos: 51





	one for sorrow

The blade shrieks as the rock skids across it, sending tiny sparks flying across the floor of the tent. Raven watches them fall and go out with careful eyes, then returns to the knife. Her mouth is taught.

“Ma’am?”

“Yes, Shay?”

A tall skinny man leans into the tent, only his head and right hand visible through the heavy drapes. His wide eyes and shaking voice betray his nervousness, but Raven doesn’t react to either. The rock slides across the blade again, releasing a high squeal. The man winces.

“There’s an intruder in the camp.”

Raven’s red eyes flick up. “And? Do you not know how to deal with them? Or has your previous failure in fighting my daughter made you too scared to show any strength?”

“It’s just- he’s-”

“Spit it out, Shay.”

“He’s asking for you.”

Raven sighs, a thick lock of black hair twitching away from her face. She sets down her stone and throws the knife at the floor. It sticks into the wood slats. The ruby at its base of is cracked and clouded with age.

“Fine. Send him in.”

Raven doesn’t get intruders too often, and most are quickly dealt with. But even rarer does she get visitors. Many know of her, but not many want to face her. Qrow was her most frequent, when she first became the leader appearing at least once a season. Yang was a surprise. But this…

“ _Tai?_ ”

Raven really wishes that she didn’t sound as desperate as she feels.

Taiyang Xiao Long appeared into Raven’s life the moment she stepped foot into Beacon, and she decided fairly early on that she never wanted him, or the rest of team STRQ, to ever leave it. He was bright and cheerful and optimistic and stupid, and he made her happy, in the oddest and most bubbly way. To him, she was Raven. Not a soldier, or a subordinate, _Raven_.

She could say that it was terrible that it changed, but it was all her fault, after all.

He looks different now – older, of course, and exhausted. But right now determination is shining through him, much like the way it used to. Yang has that too – she glows, like the sun. Hers, however, is much more literal.

Raven gestures for Shay to leave them. Tai watches her, head tilted slightly to the side. In direct contrast to the rest of the tribe, he doesn’t look frightened of her at all. Even… pitying.

“Why the fuck are you here?”

“It’s Yang. And Ruby.”

Raven sighs, sitting back down on her box. “I broke things off with Yang. She chose her path. I have nothing to do with her anymore.”

Tai scoffs. “And for some reason I don’t quite believe you. Did you not see the broadcast?”

“Communications have been down for _months_ , Tai.”

“They went back up two days ago for two minutes. Atlas is being attacked. By _Salem_.”

Raven has trained herself not to show fear in front of others. She needs her tribe to never doubt her leading, to always think that she’s the strongest and the best for the job. Summer used to sit with her when she was terrified like this, holding her hands while they shook, talking in her soft and melodic voice. Tai and Qrow later joined her.

But it’s been a long time since Raven has been safe. She’s trained her hands not to shake, her voice to stay smooth, her face to remain emotionless.

Even if Tai has always been able to see right through her.

“And?”

“They need us, Raven. Qrow told me you know where the spring maiden is, and if I ever knew you, then I know you’ve been training her. We need as much power as possible to fight Salem, you know that. And Ruby and Yang-”

“IF SALEM GOES AFTER YANG, _THAT’S ON HER_. IT’S NOT _MY_ FAULT SHE TOOK THE RELIC.”

Raven rockets to her feet, her eyes lighting up on instinct. She internally curses when Tai takes a step back. She leaves the maiden eyes there. If he knows now, he might as well know. There’s nothing she can do about it anyway.

She stills her expression back into a blank slate and blinks slowly, removing the fire.

“ _What the fuck do you mean?_ WHY THE HELL DOES _YANG_ HAVE THE LAMP?”

Tai is _mad_. Tai doesn’t get mad often. And if Raven is honest, it terrifies her. He’s big and loud and violent, but so painfully desperate. He loves Yang. He wants her to be safe more than anything, and it bleeds through his voice and all over everything.

Raven takes a deep breath. “She took it from me. I went to get it and she took it.”

“She _took_ it?”

“I- I gave it to her. She told me to give it to her and I gave it to her.”

Tai shakes his head, rubbing his eyes. “And you’re the spring maiden.”

Raven stays silent. She doesn’t know how to manage Tai’s emotions, and has no desire to deal with them. She clenches her hands tighter at her sides, refusing to hide the shaking in her pockets. She lifts her chin.

“And, Tai? What the hell am I supposed to do against Salem and her inevitable army? _We can’t beat her._ You never believed me when I told you. But we _can’t._ ”

“So you’re just going to let your _daughter_ die? Is it Yang’s fault that you became a coward? That after Summer died you just couldn’t find a single ounce of you to keep fighting, no matter what? You were a _huntress_ , Raven, and damn good at it too. You had that fire, that unending drive to help people. They wanted you to be evil and you turned around and said _no_.” He shakes his head.

“I used to admire that fire every day. I see it in Yang. Even after the worst happened to her, she was always burning. But look at what happened to you. You’re just a coward, and these children are stronger than you.”

Raven shakes her head, slowly sinking back down to her seat. She picks up the dagger that she had shoved into the floor, turning it so the candlelight reflects off the metal. She can tell that Tai recognizes it – not just for the roses adorned on the handle, but also for the notches in the blade, the slight curve in the handle, the crack in the ruby on the bottom.

“You really think Salem killed her?” Raven says, her voice a whisper.

“What do you mean?” Tai’s voice is painfully quiet.

“Salem knows the pain of immortality, I’m sure she wishes for the release of death. Do you really think that she would kill as a punishment?”

“Stop trying to manipulate me, Raven.” His voice is shaking now. “Stop. It’s been fifteen years. I don’t need to hear this anymore. Summer is _dead_. It’s horrible and painful and it’s _over_.”

Raven taps her foot, and a portal appears to her left. It looks like her typical portals, a swirl of glowing red, but a slight breeze is coming from it, lifting the ends of her black hair. A single rose petal flies through. Tai catches it in one hand.

Raven gestures for him to try it. He walks forward and reaches forward with one hand, but is met with a wall of resistance. Somehow, inside the portal, just far enough for the palm of his hand to be covered with the portal’s black mist, is an invisible barrier.

He draws his hand back, eyes wide, and turns to Raven.

“This isn’t what happens when someone dies. Vernal, I can’t make a portal for her at all. I can’t even sense the link. Summer’s is just… cold. I don’t know where she is, I don’t know what Salem did to her, but she did _something_.”

Tai slams his fist against the barrier, making Raven jump slightly. She closes the portal before he can do it again.

He turns to her, eyes glassy, a tear line visible down his right cheek. “And you’ve never tried going after her? Looking?”

“OF COURSE I HAVE!” Raven yells, her eyes lighting up again. “ _DON’T THINK YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE WHO LOVED HER!_ BUT DO YOU REALLY WANT THIS CURSE, KNOWING SHE’S JUST BEYOND YOUR FINGERTIPS, JUST BEYOND THE GLASS? I didn’t tell you for a fucking _reason_ , Tai.”

Taiyang steps back, eyes widening. 

Raven sighs, setting down Summer’s dagger and tucking her hair behind her ears in some desperate attempt at composure.

“Please, Ray. Please. Let’s try. Let’s save Yang, save Ruby. We can help them, and we can find Summer.”

“I’m not getting killed because you think that your courage is enough to shield you from Salem. She’s stronger than us.”

“She’s only stronger than you because she’s _in your head_.”

“Stop being naïve, Tai. She can’t die.”

“Well I’m going after Yang. Whether you’re coming or not.”

Raven forms the beginnings of a portal with one hand.

“I’m sure Yang would want you to be there.”

Raven closes her eyes.

_You don’t want to do this, Yang._

_Nope. But I’m gonna do it anyway._

_I’m sorry._

_Yeah. Me too._

Every nerve in Raven’s body, every nerve that she has ever boasted for being a survivor and keeping her alive, is screaming at her to leave it alone. And even if Qrow could never get in her head, Tai and Summer always could. And of course, the little girl that is just the three of them mixed together.

Does Raven really want this to be the moment where she gives up all of the work she’s done for the last fifteen years? No. But maybe… maybe Yang deserves this. Maybe she deserves more than one strike.

“We’re making a pit stop first.”

*

“ _Raven?_ ”

“Hello, brother.”

**Author's Note:**

> Raven, two seconds later: why the fuck are you in jail you dumb bird
> 
> I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this, so if you're interested, please tell me.
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> Find me on Tumblr at @bluefaewren and @blueartwren.


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